1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to convection ovens, and more particularly to air circulation in the oven cavity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ovens utilizing convection heating are well-known. Convection ovens heat objects, such as food items, within an oven cavity by transferring heat from a heating element to the food item by the circulation of a convecting gas within the oven cavity. A common problem in convection ovens is non-uniform air flow in the oven cavity. This can lead to temperature differences between areas within the oven cavity, which makes it difficult to achieve uniform heating of the food item in the oven cavity. This problem is exacerbated by placing food items on racks at different heights within the oven cavity.
In an attempt to address this problem, many convection ovens employ fans to generate air circulation to improve air flow uniformity. Some known convection oven heating systems use a single fan located centrally on a wall of the oven cavity. Other known ovens utilize a convection heating system having multiple fans. However, neither of these solutions optimize convection heating since airflow can still be uneven with these systems. Therefore, it remains that a convection system is needed that will create a more uniform temperature throughout the oven cavity.